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Parent squirts mayo on girl's head to treat lice, but never foresaw this tragedy

What began as a simple attempt to eradicate head lice turned disastrous.

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Home remedy for 18-month-old's case of lice ends in tragedy

By Henry Cannon

January 22, 2016

It's a common home remedy used to treat head lice, but for one Massachusetts couple, things didn't go as planned. CBS News reports that an 18-month-old toddler died from suffocation as a result of a botched head lice treatment. The parents reportedly left their child unattended while she had a plastic bag covering her scalp.

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Though the Head Lice Center says it hasn't been scientifically proven that mayonnaise helps treat head lice, it's an oft-used technique that many people have claimed success with. Mayonnaise is used because it contains oil, which suffocates the lice.

It's a simple enough treatment, and an inexpensive one: Spread full-fat mayonnaise on the scalp, and then cover the coated area for about eight hours. Something like a shower cap or plastic wrap would work well, but the Head Lice Center reminds parents that plastic wrap should never be used on children.

That's the fatal mistake that the unnamed Massachusetts couple made, resulting in their young daughter's death. CBS reports that the toddler fell asleep with the bag on her head. Investigators suspect that it then slipped down over her mouth. At the time of the CBS report, no charges had been filed against the parents.